I returned to clean the table but was accosted by a very freaked out man.
“She was here? Is she gone? Did she hurt you?” Ely asked, eyes scanning me thoroughly.
I gripped Ely’s hands and pried him off me. “The wretched woman was here, yes, but she’s gone now. Not that her essence followed her. I swear I can still feel her here.”
Ely ushered me behind the counter and into the back area. As the door swung closed behind us, I noticed Heidi convincing Tanya everything was just fine, only a minor issue they needed to discuss with me, then they’d eat everything and give her lots of tips. Ely checked me over once more, though I had a sneaking suspicion if Ella had hurt me, it would be a huge and painful wound. He turned me this way and that, even lifting my hair to make sure she wasn’t hiding in there. Once Heidi convinced Tanya all was well, she pushed through the swinging door to join us.
“Ely, you must calm yourself, or you’ll cause a—” Before Heidi finished, Ely cleared the table with a swing of his arm and plopped me onto it. Metal baking sheets clanged to the ground, surprising the cook who dropped his spatula. He splattered hot grease everywhere, cursed the day we were all born, then went to the locker room in the rear of the diner to clean his burned fingers.
“... scene, but I suppose it’s too late to worry about that, isn’t it?” Heidi said with an eye roll.
Once the cook was well out of earshot, Ely resumed his worrying. “Tell me what happened,” Ely demanded. “Did she hurt you?”
He inspected every inch of me a third time, moving me around and tossing me about like a rag doll. I smacked at his hands, but he was sure there was something wrong with me and wouldn’t stop until he found it.
“Ely, do stop tossing the girl around before she’s sick!” Heidi fussed as she took me by the hand and helped me down from the counter.
I smoothed out my uniform, then said, “I’m fine. Ella never touched me, but she made threats. Plenty of them against the people I care about as well as Schwarzwald. She went as far as telling me Cecily would betray me.”
“Has she ever?” Heidi asked, but her tone seemed doubtful.
“Not that I can remember, but she swore it happened in other lives. The first time was because of the man I was betrothed to. She said Cecily, or rather Corrina, was in love with him.”
“You were quite insistent back then that he could marry your sister instead, and she could take the throne in your place. I seem to remember she was fond of him, perhaps in love?” Ely said, making me believe the dream I had was probably a memory and not a dream, but I wasn’t ready to share that with him, not yet.
“I didn’t want to be a queen?” I asked, curious.
“No, not really. You wanted to travel... with me,” Ely said softly, but Heidi brought us back to reality.
“Did Dannie return last night?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, and I can’t reach—oh no! What if Ella has her?”
“It is a concern, I’m afraid,” Heidi admitted. “We should search for her tonight if she doesn’t contact you. I’m sorry to ask, but would you be willing to go tracking with Ely if she doesn’t turn up?”
“You mean sniff her out in wolf form? Sure, I was tempted to last night, but I kept thinking she would come home. We should go now. Let’s see if we can pick something up—”
“We can’t, not now. It’s too much of a risk in broad daylight,” Ely argued.
“We can’t just wait around! She could be in danger, captured, or... or worse,” I said, suddenly fearing Ella might have already made good on her threats. If she had Dannie... I couldn’t even think of such horrible things.
“As soon as the sun sets, we’ll go. I promise, Sierra. I want to find her as much as you do,” Ely vowed. He was right. There was little we could do in human form and roaming the streets of Philadelphia in wolf form was a death sentence. We couldn’t risk it.
“Okay. Yeah, I agree,” I said sadly.
“Alright, then. Wil is flying back home as we speak, so I’ll let him know Schwarzwald should be on high alert, not that it isn’t always on high alert... anyway, we’ll work on helping Cecily learn to shift tonight as well. In the meantime, I think we should begin our search for Jemma. She could be in danger as well.”
So much for trying to earn extra cash before the ship to Crazytown embarked. “I agree. Give me a minute to get out of here,” I said.
I waited expectantly, assuming the two would leave so I could lie to my boss’ face without suspicion, but Ely said, “No way. I’m not leaving here without you attached to my arm.”
Heidi rolled her eyes again, but I relented. There was no sense in arguing when we needed to be searching. I formulated a lie and left the little diner, probably for the last time. Everyone on shift was angry with me, but if they knew even half of what I was dealing with, they would probably admit me for psychiatric observation.
True to his word, Ely offered his arm and escorted me to the rental car they’d been using. Once inside, Heidi breathed a sigh of relief. “I hate big cities, and this city is monstrous. Does it have to have so many buildings so closely together?”
“It’s not so bad once you get used to it. I’ll miss it, I think,” I said as I stared at the passing buildings.
Ely leaned close and whispered in my ear, “Don’t get too comfortable. The Grimm only learned to drive about a year ago.”
“Shut up, Ely, I learned to drive five years ago, thank you very much.”
They had a way of making me feel like a part of their family, and I suppose in a way I was. Still, it was nice to feel a part of something even if it was a debacle in the making.
“So, Wil’s informant said Jemma used to work as a librarian in a public library downtown. Ring any bells?” Ely asked.
“Yeah, I know where it is. It’s huge, can’t miss it,” I said.
I gave Heidi turn by turn directions and watched out the window as the sights from my childhood passed. Some of them were pleasant, but most of them were not. We came upon a small neighborhood I’d almost forgotten about. I suppressed all memories of it so I could function enough to take care of my sister, but when I saw the little yellow house with broken gutters and a rusting fence, the memories came rushing back.
I was rigid in my seat as we passed the little house. It was probably owned by someone else now, but that house would never feel okay to me. It would always be the house, the one that ruined my faith in humanity.
“Sierra? Darling, are you okay?” Ely’s soft voice slowly pulled me away from the painful memories and back to present-day. “You can talk to me. I hope you know that.”
I inhaled deeply, prepared to tell him it was nothing, that I was just thinking about what happened with Ella, but before I did my hands warmed and I lit the seat on fire. Ely’s quick thinking stopped it before it spread too far. He used his coat to smother the flames, but if I didn’t control my issue, I’d have to buy the man an entirely new wardrobe. He folded his burned jacket and dropped it beside his feet. He made no mention that I basically destroyed the rental car, he only pulled me against him. No fear I would burn him, just a warm and loving embrace that gave me permission to let go.
I did. I cried against his chest, not over the fire or Ella, not over all the things that lie ahead, but for all the things that I thought were behind me. It occurred to me that I was no different from my sister or Jack. I bottled up all the pain and anger, put a tight seal on it, and put it out of sight, only for it to burst open at the worst possible time in my life—the time when a fairytale princess was out to get me.
Ely said nothing, nor did Heidi, but both seemed to know my weeping had nothing to do with current affairs.
“I know I can’t fix it, but I’m here for you, darling,” he whispered, but it was enough. I dried my tears and moved to a more comfortable position on the burned seat.
Ely eyed me cautiously, but I felt it had more to do with my crying than fear I would light him on fire again.
“I’ll
be fine. It was just... it was a memory of my childhood I’d rather not discuss right now. Maybe another time, but not now.”
He nodded slightly, then slipped his hand into mine. I allowed him the closeness and sat in silence the rest of the way. It was a straight shot to the library, and Heidi made it there without issue. Once parked, Ely and Heidi scanned the area before letting me out of the car, then the two flanked me as my own, personal guards, which made me wonder where the real guard was.
“Where’s Felix?”
“He’s helping Cecily,” Heidi said. “Brody is assisting Jack.”
“By helping and assisting, she means they are creepily stalking them to ensure their safety. Purely professional, I assure you,” Ely said, eliciting a little laugh from me. I appreciated it; I appreciated him. I hadn’t expected him to be so supportive in the car, but he proved himself to be patient when he wanted to be.
We climbed the stairs, and Heidi randomly blurted, “Oh! Are these the famous stairs everyone talks about? You know, the ones from that movie, what was it? The one about the boxer or something?”
“You mean Rocky?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s it... I think.”
“No, that’s the stairs in front of the art museum, which you should definitely check out sometime,” I said, then started to pull open the front door of the library, but Ely beat me to it. He was at least trying to be gentlemanly.
“Thank you, Eliot,” Heidi said, then followed me in. “Wow... this is... how will we ever find Jemma in here?”
“There she is,” I interrupted and pointed toward Jemma as she pushed a cart down the aisle just across from the entrance.
She looked the same as I remembered her, perhaps a little worn from life like me, but if she was a wolf shifter, then it was understandable. Her hair was a little longer, but the chocolate brown waves tumbled down her back as they had in high school. Her skin, a light shade of brown that always had me wondering what her heritage was, was still flawless as ever. And that smile—dazzling. She’s smiling at you, idiot!
“Yes, she is, but might I suggest not saying things out loud until we’re in private,” Ely said.
I blushed and approached her, hoping she remembered me. She did, clearly. She wrapped me in a strong hug that would cause the casual observer to believe we’d been friends for many years when in truth I wasn’t sure I’d ever said two words to the girl. I was too busy trying to make decent grades to make my parents happy, which was difficult for me since the years before the Monroe family adopted us were not the easiest, nor was the environment learning-friendly.
“Sierra Monroe! I haven’t seen you in... what? Not since graduation, I guess. How are you?” she asked, ushering me to a table.
“I’m good, um...” I couldn’t think of a thing to say to her to get the conversation started, so Heidi jumped in.
“My dear friend Sierra is showing us around her fair city. We’re friends of hers in town on business.”
“Oh, how wonderful. I’m glad you brought them to the library. Have you enjoyed your visit so far?”
Ely, who was so very patient and understanding in the car, lost his patience with the small talk. “Yeah, it’s great. Do you have a private office or something we can use? We need to discuss something with you.”
His tone was gruff and took Jemma a bit by surprise. “Oh... are you in need of a conference room or a viewing room?”
“Nothing like that, just a room with a lock where we can discuss important information with you,” he said, causing Heidi to all but lose her sanity.
“Eliot Salien, I swear to all that is—”
Jemma leaped forward and grabbed Heidi by the arms, just at the shoulder. Her eyes were wide, and she appeared ready to jump from her skin. Heidi’s eyes went wide as well, and I feared she may use magic to protect herself in the middle of a vast library filled with people.
“Did you just call him Eliot Salien?” Jemma asked, bordering on hysteria.
“Y-yes, that is his name. Madam, are you alright?” Heidi asked, prying Jemma from her shoulders as she did.
“I am now. Come on, we need to talk.” Jemma wasted no time. She grabbed my hand and dragged me along behind her much to Ely’s dismay. He caught up to us and took my other hand protectively, but Heidi didn’t seem too concerned.
Jemma turned the corner and led us down a long hallway, through a heavy metal door, then down another hall where she paused at another door. She pulled an ID card from her pocket and scanned it on the keypad beside the door, then entered a four-digit code I didn’t catch. She pulled open the heavy door and ushered us through.
“All the way down, turn left at the split. I’ll be there momentarily,” Jemma ordered.
I had a small panic attack, and Ely was on the same page. “Is she going to slaughter us down here?” he asked.
“No, Ely. I believe we’ll be just fine,” Heidi said.
“You can’t be sure,” he whispered, leaning toward Heidi. “What if she’s working with Ella?”
“I’m not,” Jemma whispered, standing just behind us.
“Dear Heaven,” Heidi said, clutching her chest where her heart was. “I didn’t hear you approach. What is going on?”
“I think it will be better to show you. Come on, it’s just this way.” Jemma took a few more steps, then stopped midway down the hall. She placed her hand on the wall, a seemingly random place, but it lit up under her touch. The light scanned down, then back up her hand. A small green light flickered on, then a door opened.
“Where did that come from?” Ely asked.
“It’s magic,” Jemma teased, then pushed the door open.
We stepped inside another world—still a library of sorts but filled with volumes much older than anything I’d ever seen before. It was a book-lovers dream come true with neatly organized, color-coded and size arranged books neatly placed in straight lines at the front of the shelves. I was, frankly, afraid to breathe in the room, let alone set another foot inside.
“Come, you must meet Fiona,” Jemma said, then yelled, “Fiona! I have guests you’ll want to meet!”
A flame-haired woman with a long, flowing, yellow dress stepped out from behind one of the shelves. Her lips were perfectly painted red, and her eyes widened at the sight of us. She placed her book on the table and walked—no, glided—over to where we stood stock still in the middle of the entrance.
“Well, do come in lovelies. I’m Fiona Garamond, and I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance.” She offered her hand to me first, so I hesitantly accepted it, believing I may wake up at any moment. Ely and Heidi were equally baffled and stood beside me with strange looks on their faces that probably matched my own.
“And your name is?” Fiona asked.
“Um...” What is my name? Oh, yeah... “It’s Sierra Monroe.”
She smiled sweetly, reminding me so much of my mother. “I meant your real name, dear,” she said, taking me by surprise.
“Um... it’s... S-Saskia Vogel. Princess Saskia Vogel... of Goldene Stadt.”
Her smile grew, and she released my hand. She clasped both hands in front of her and squealed. “Finally! Finally, you’re here! And your sister? Is she... she’s here somewhere?” Fiona asked, glancing around.
“She’s not here, but she’s okay. What is going on here?” Ely asked impatiently.
“Don’t you know?” Jemma asked. “From your memories?”
“Memories?” I asked, then remembered she was speaking of those memories, not old high school memories. “Oh, I haven’t regained my... wait, you know already?”
Jemma nodded frantically. “Oh, yes. I’ve known since I was thirteen. I’ve been waiting for you and your sister for nearly ten years,” she said with a chuckle.
“You mean to tell me, you regained your memories at thirteen and didn’t bother looking for your cousins?” Ely asked, bordering on irritated.
“That’s my fault, I’m afraid. Jemma wanted to find them and tell them the truth, but I k
new. I knew,” Fiona said.
“Knew what?” Heidi asked, growing frustrated herself.
“I knew Sierra wasn’t ready. She was too... pardon me, dear, but she was too broken back then. She wasn’t strong enough, not for this.” Fiona turned her gaze to me, zeroing in on me and blocking everyone else out. “Which is not to say you were not one of the strongest people I’d ever seen, I simply did not believe you were ready for this.”
Ely’s frustration boiled over, and he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. “So you let her suffer? You could have helped her, and you chose to stand by while she—”
“Ely,” I whispered, placing my hand on his arm. “It’s in the past. It’s better now, so there’s no sense rehashing it.”
He tensed under my touch, but relaxed when I smiled at him. The smile hid my real feelings. It would have been nice to grow up with my cousin in a kind, loving home when I was small, but if I had, then I wouldn’t have met my adoptive parents. Even though they were gone, I couldn’t imagine my life without the impression they made.
“I’m fine, I promise,” I said.
“You’re not,” Ely insisted, “but I’ll let it go for your sake.”
I gave my attention back to Fiona. “Go on, please.”
The look of guilt on her face told a story of regret, but she went on without speaking another word about the past.
“Well, dear, now you’re here of your own free will, and I assume it means you’re prepared?” I noticed a slight tinkling to her voice, like the faint sound of jingle bells when she spoke. She seemed to lighten the room as she moved through it to sit at a long table. She motioned for me to do the same.
“Well, are you prepared, dear?” she asked again.
Prepared for what, I wasn’t sure, but there was no going back to my old life, not now. I slowly nodded, accepting that this oddly fairylike woman had information even Ely and Heidi did not. She smiled again and took my hand. I could feel her pulse against my own hand, fluttering like a hummingbird. I gazed up at her, awestruck. Her glowy, but not glowing presence, the ease with which she moved, so fluid and graceful, the tinkly sound of her voice, it was all so soothing and motherly.
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